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TALKING FOREIGN POLICY. Rodrigo Duterte takes questions about his take on international affairs during a Go Negosyo elections forum on February 4, 2016. Photo by Pia Ranada/Rappler

MANILA, Philippines – Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte said if elected president, he is willing to share the natural resources of the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) with China if that will settle the maritime dispute between the Asian giant and the Philippines.

Duterte's stand, made at an elections forum on Thursday, February 4, is the same as that of United Nationalist Alliance standard-bearer Vice President Jejomar Binay, and contrary to the position taken by the Aquino administration, which has sought international arbitration on the dispute.

“We cannot defeat you (China). We will be pulverized if we go to war. So I will just tell them, 'If you want to talk, let’s talk. Or you might just want to open this as a mutual corridor and I will be willing to talk to you if there is oil and gas. Let us do it joint exploration,'” he said.

It was the same position taken by the Arroyo administration, which entered into a Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking with China and Vietnam. Under the JMSU, the 3 countries agreed, through their national oil corporations, to conduct joint explorations of the disputed South China Sea.

In a Newsbreak report in 2008, legal experts said then that the government “effectively derogated the Philippines' sovereignty over the marine resources around the province of Palawan” because of the joint exploration. (READ: Why China prefers Arroyo to Aquino)

No compromise

But Duterte's willingness to engage with China does not mean he will compromise the Philippine claim over the West Philippine Sea.

He said when talking with China, he will set a “margin” he will not cross.

“I cannot talk beyond this margin. And my predicate, whether you believe it or not, I’m not forcing you to believe, what you have built there is within our territory. It is illegal," he said.

The statement was received with cheers and applause by the crowd, a gathering of entrepreneurs, students, and corporate leaders.

It comes two days after Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua made an indirect call to the Philippines to be "flexible and intelligent" in its bilateral relations with China.

Reservations on foreign troops in PH

Duterte was also asked about his stance on anotherforeign policy issue: the controversial PH-USEnhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) which allows visiting troops from the United States to use Philippine military bases as strategic regrouping and training points.

In return, the Philippine military gets assistance in personnel training and equipment from the US, seen as crucial in view of rising tensions in the West Philippine Sea.

Duterte said that while he has “reservations about the presence of foreign troops,” he is bound to respect the Supreme Court’s decision that the EDCA is not unconstitutional.

However, he emphasized that he will closely monitor the EDCA’s implementation to ensure foreign troops stay within the limit of the agreement.

“We will not allow the building of structures,” he said. – Rappler.com

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Welcome to Rappler, a social news network where stories inspire community engagement and digitally fuelled actions for social change. Rappler comes from the root words "rap" (to discuss) + "ripple" (to make waves).